Generations Book 1: In The Absence of Tears
by Pandora of Ithilien
Summary: Jazlyn Temaida has never fit in. At home, she's the family disgrace and at school, no one knows her name. But all it will take is a helping hand to show her what she can achieve and break through her shell at last.
1. Prologue:Sorting

Disclaimer: If you think I'm J.K. Rowling, you need your head examined. The only things that belong to me are Jazlyn, her cat Angel, and the Temaida family.

**_Prologue – Sorting_**: Jazlyn Temaida was frightened. She was eleven years old and leaving home for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What scared her was the ceremony known as the Sorting. She wasn't sure what happened, but she was sure of one thing; she was about to be in terrible trouble. Why? Because there was absolutely no way she was being Sorted into Slytherin, the House everyone in her family had been for generations. She just didn't fit the Slytherin mold. And if she was in Gryffindor? Then she was truly dead.

Hearing a meow, Jazlyn looked down. Her kitten, Angel, wasn't too happy with the crowds here at the station. _How long will we be with these people?_ the cat demanded. Jazlyn sighed. She had always been able to talk to cats by some form of telepathy – it was a gift her family had been known for many generations earlier (Temaida was an ancient word for tiger), but Jazlyn herself was the first in five generations who could do it. _Until I leave school_, she replied. _Now quit complaining_. The cat hissed, but made no more remarks.

The train ride took all day, but Jazlyn didn't mind. Still, they did reach Hogwarts in the end, where they were instructed to leave luggage and pets on the train. Neither Jazlyn or Angel was pleased with that, but there wasn't a thing they could do about it. So Jazlyn left the train alone.

She followed the other first years, who were following a giant called Hagrid, down to the lake, where they got into boats. It was supposed to be four to a boat, but the boats ran out and Jazlyn was left as the only one still on land. So Hagrid told her to join the last boat, which held four lively boys. As she got in, they turned to look at her. She recognized one of them: Sirius Black. His family ran in the same circles as hers did. She doubted he knew her; she'd always had a talent for being all but invisible.

They reached the castle, where a stern witch called Professor McGonagall led them into the Great Hall, where the entire student body and every teacher waited for them. Jazlyn barely heard the song of the Sorting Hat or any of the names that preceded hers through the buzzing in her ears. Suddenly, McGonagall's voice cut through the buzzing as she said, "Temaida, Jazlyn!"

Jazlyn walked over to the stool that each of the others had sat on, and waited. The hat slipped over her eyes, and she heard a voice in her ear. _Hello there. I see you've got some interesting talents, eh? You're smart, and...ah. Courage, hidden so well even you can't find it, but it's there. So where to put you? Hmm...yes, that will do. You won't like this, but trust me, you'll be better off there._ "GRYFFINDOR!"

Jazlyn swallowed hard, wanting to argue, but she didn't. Instead, she walked over to the table on the far left and sat down, wondering how her father would react when he found out and trying to understand how she was better off in Gryffindor. Her dad was going to kill her – or at least make her wish she'd never been born. That wasn't her idea of 'better off'.

A/N: So, I decided to try my hand at a Marauders era fic. What do you think? Let me know!


	2. On The Train Part One

Disclaimer: I thought I already told you, I'm not J.K. Rowling! However, Jazlyn, her cat, and the Temaidas are mine, and if you dare to steal them, you shall be destroyed! Well, maybe not destroyed. Just punished – I'll ask Dobby to try and save your life.

**_Chapter One – On The Train Part One:_** Even seven years later, on the first day of Jazlyn's final year at Hogwarts, she still didn't understand how she was better off in Gryffindor. Her family treated her like dirt, and the only students who knew her name were the Slytherins, who went out of their way to make her life a living hell. She was used to it by now; it was just part of the routine, as much as homework and classes were.

There was one large improvement from her first year, but it had nothing to do with school. Jazlyn had discovered that her connection with cats included an ability to become a cat herself. She wasn't exactly an Animagus, because she'd been born with the ability; she hadn't worked spells to do it. She had needed to learn how to focus in a way that initiated the change from one form to the other, but that was about it.

After checking to make sure she had everything, Jazlyn managed to slip out of the Temaida manor and get to King's Cross. She had been lucky this time; normally, she would at the least have to deal with her younger cousins' mockery, if not dodge worse from the adult members of the house. In a way, it was a good thing she was the only Temaida at Hogwarts – after she'd been Sorted into Gryffindor, her aunts and uncles had decided not to risk more dishonor and sent all their kids to Durmstrang – because she was able at least to escape her family at school.

_Well, not all the family_, she amended as she reached the station and caught sight of Bellatrix and Narcissa Black. Their mother, Odelia, was Jazlyn's only aunt by blood, not marriage. Not that her cousins acknowledged her as anything more than someone to torture.

Jazlyn didn't get on the train right away. She liked to watch the other students, so that was what she did, fading easily into the shadows. There were the other Slytherins joining Narcissa and Bellatrix; Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Regulus Black, who was Bellatrix's and Narcissa's cousin on their father's side and no relation to Jazlyn. She also saw the famous Marauders, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. And, Jazlyn noted with a slight smirk, there was Lily Evans, a Gryffindor like the Marauders and Jazlyn, who absolutely detested James Potter. The best part was that, according to the badges Lily and James wore, they were Head Boy and Girl. Jazlyn hadn't the slightest idea how the two of them would manage not to kill each other.

After a short time, Jazlyn boarded the train, looking for an empty compartment. She had found one and was just walking in when someone grabbed her shoulders. Other hands followed and she was dragged down the corridor, barely holding on to her trunk and Angel's cage. Then, abruptly, her captors stopped at a compartment door. One of them – Malfoy – yanked the door open, and Jazlyn heard Bellatrix cry, "All the pigs in one pen!" as she was pushed inside. She might have been able to land on her knees, but they threw her trunk in after her. It struck her back, sending her down hard. She cracked her head on the floor and blacked out.


	3. On The Train Part Two

1Disclaimer: All of the characters except for those you don't know are the property of J.K Rowling.

_Chapter 3 - On The Train Part Two:_ As the Slytherin bullies dragged Jazlyn along the train, the famous Marauders sat in their compartment, happily plotting out their adventures for the year. Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew did this on every train ride to school; it was a yearly tradition. This year, however, they were going to be interrupted.

Sirius was just saying he was bored when the door of their compartment was yanked open. The boys looked up. Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin, stood in the doorway, a cruel smile on her face. "All the pigs in one pen!" she shrieked, and, to the Marauders' shock, a group of Slytherins tossed a girl into their compartment. When she hit, the cage she'd been clinging to flew from her hand and slammed into the wall. Then they tossed her trunk in after her. The girl's trunk hit her in the back, pitching her forward. Her head hit the floor with a sickening crack and she lay still, obviously knocked out. The Slytherins laughed and went off to torment some other poor kid.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter looked at each other. They didn't know exactly what was going on, but they were all shocked. It was Remus who bent down to try and wake the girl up, and when he saw her face he gasped. "Jazlyn!" he said, utterly bewildered.

"Hey, she's a Gryffindor," Peter said. Remus gave him a dark look. "She's in our year, too. I have Arithmancy and Ancient Runes with her." Sirius and James were confused.

"We don't know her. Isn't that weird?" Sirius wanted to know. "No, because you lot aren't exactly the most observant, are you?" Remus retorted. Sometimes his friends could be annoying. If they bothered to pay attention...

"Hey! I resent that! Ow!" James was trying to get Jazlyn's cage, which appeared to hold a violent cat who swiped at James' hand. "You little brute!" The cat tried to bite him. James gave up.

Jazlyn swan back to consciousness slowly. She could hear voices, boys' voices, around her. "I think she's waking up," said one. She knew that voice. It was Peter Pettigrew, which meant... She opened her eyes and found four people staring down at her; the Marauders. _Damn_, she thought._ Not good at all._

"Hello there. Have a nice flight?" That was Sirius Black. Jazlyn looked at him blankly. What was he talking about? Then her memory came back and she blushed. They must think she was a wimp.

"I feel like an idiot," she muttered. "Sorry about this." She got up. Then she saw Angel, looking quite unhappy. _The boy with glasses called me a brute!_ the cat shrieked. Angel was more than unhappy, then. _Cool it. Were you swiping at him? If so, it's your own fault. _The cat hissed, but Jazlyn ignored her.

"Why do you feel like an idiot?" Remus asked. "Yeah," James added. "I doubt you _wanted_ the Slytherins to toss you in here." Jazlyn shrugged. "No..." she began.

"Then don't be stupid. We've got enough idiots in the world," Sirius told her blithely.

Jazlyn smiled; she couldn't help it. Bending down to get her stuff, she suddenly felt dizzy. "Damn it all," she grumbled. She closed her eyes until it faded, and then grabbed her trunk. She walked over to where Angel was and picked up the cage with the disgruntled cat inside.

"Hey, where're you going?" Sirius blocked the door. "You stay here, miss..." He didn't even know her name, Jazlyn thought. Not that anyone really did. At least, she didn't think there were that many who did. "My name's Jazlyn. Jazlyn Temaida," she told him quietly.

Sirius frowned. Her surname sounded familiar... "Hang on, Temaida? You must be related to dear Aunt Odelia."

Jazlyn grimaced. "Yeah. My dad's her older brother. Listen, I should go." The boys stared at her. "Why?" asked Peter. "We're not evil or anything."

"Didn't I say you're staying? You are now our prisoner...OW! Remus, what the hell was that for?" Remus had whacked Sirius upside the head after the prisoner remark. "You were being stupid, again," Remus informed him.

"So, Jazlyn," James said. "You staying?" Jazlyn shrugged, then grinned. "Why not?" she replied.

A/N: Well, I'm sorry it took so long to update. Trust me, I didn't want my computer to crash, but things happen. I hope you liked this. In other words, people, review! Feedback is good.


	4. Life of Anonymity

1Disclaimer: If you really think anything but Jazlyn is mine, you are way off base. The world and most of the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I just own copies of the books and movies, as well as 2 fanfics.

_Chapter 3 - Life of Anonymity:_ When Jazlyn woke up the next morning, she was at Hogwarts, staring at the red canopy of her four-poster. She sat up, pulled back the hangings, and stood. The other girls were still asleep, as usual. Shaking her head, Jazlyn dressed and left the room.

Down in the Great Hall, she sat at the edge of one of the tables, right near the Hufflepuffs. A few of the early risers of that house glanced at her, but just for a moment. She never held anyone's notice for very long. Not that she tried to. Sighing, Jazlyn began to fill her plate. She wanted to be done quickly, before the main bulk of students arrived.

That day, Jazlyn had Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy. Potions was first, and by far the easiest. Professor Slughorn hardly noticed anyone except those who he felt showed 'potential.' This trait was not seen in a girl who spent her days trying to be invisible. His favorite was Lily Evans, but he also fawned on Sirius and seemed suitably impressed by James, Remus, and even Snape. Of course, if Lily had a real rival in Potions, it had to be Snape, who just seemed to be born for potion-making. Well, that and using Dark magic.

Next came Defense Against the Dark Arts. This class wasn't so bad either. Professor Kirk wasn't too tough on anyone, and only pounced on students for an answer they hadn't volunteered to give if the student had been fooling around. This meant that Sirius and James were often drafted, but to everyone's annoyance - especially Snape's and Lily's - the 2 errant boys always seemed to have the answer at hand. Jazlyn actually wasn't annoyed at all; she found this quite amusing. It also meant that Kirk never wanted answers from her, as she was always careful to be dutifully paying attention and taking notes. This behavior was usual for all her classes, explaining her 12 OWL's (9 Outstandings, 2 Exceeds Expectations, and 1 Acceptable.)

Lunch was more stressful than breakfast had been. All of the students were there, and she spent most of the time avoiding the Marauders' attempts to catch her eye. She didn't need any friends; they would just turn on her eventually anyway. That was how everyone was with her. She didn't expect it to change anytime soon.

After lunch, she had Charms. This class wasn't quite as easy to hide in. Sure, she was quiet enough to go unnoticed in all the tumult involved in a normal Charms class, but Professor Flitwick was too friendly. He seemed to think she hung back out of shyness and was determined to help her. This led to her having worked with various partners. Luckily for her, today their work didn't require a partner.

In Arithmancy, Jazlyn could relax. This class, along with Ancient Runes, was her best class. Few kids took either course, due to their challenging work, and the only Gryffindors here were Lily Evans and Remus Lupin. Most of the other students were Ravenclaws, with a few Slytherins and Hufflepuffs scattered about. This meant that she was actually an active participant in these classes, and she enjoyed that.

This particular day, Jazlyn was surprised when Remus, who happened to sit next to her, passed her a note. It read:

_Jazlyn,_

_I hope my crazy friends didn't freak you out yesterday. They do mean well but... You understand, I'm sure. So, to the point. I have been told to tell you to be in the common room tonight at midnight. I think it has something to do with a plot on the Slytherins who tossed you into our compartment. You should come. It will be interesting, to say the least._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Remus Lupin_

Jazlyn was stunned. Yet she was also oddly happy, of all things. She knew the Marauders, and any plot they came up with would be fun to watch and probably even more fun to be part of. So she turned the note over, scribbled '_Sure, why not?_' on the paper, signed her name, and passed it back.

Remus grinned when he read Jazlyn's reply. He hadn't expected her to agree, and that she had was a nice surprise.

Transfiguration was Jazlyn's least favorite class. She was good at it, but Professor McGonagall was too sharp. No hiding in this class. It was different to participate here, with so many of her year-mates looking on. It felt strange to have them watching her. At least today they were just taking notes, so she had nothing to worry about.

Dinner was like her other meals; done as quickly as possible. Then she took her schoolbooks and headed for the library. When it came time to go to bed, she couldn't sleep, and so talked to Angel for a while.

_Guess what!_ she told the cat. _What?_ Angel replied. _I'm meeting with the Marauders at midnight. Something about a plot on the Slytherins, _Jazlyn explained._ Finally, _snapped Angel. Jazlyn was puzzled. _Finally what? _The cat glared at her. _You are human, Jazlyn, no matter if you can be a cat. You need a human life, and you haven't had one. _Jazlyn bristled. _It's not that simple and you know it! _She rolled over, trying not to cry. It wasn't that easy, but she wished it was.

The clock struck midnight. After a moment of hesitation, Jazlyn got up and left the dormitory. But, as she went down the steps, she couldn't help but feel that in writing that note back to Remus, she had somehow signed a contract, one that would end her life of anonymity.

A/N: So, how was it? I haven't gotten any reviews for chapter 3, so please review. I'd like to know what you think. Oh, and to explain the mind-to-mind speech, regular italics is Jazlyn and underlined italics is Angel.


	5. The Prank

1Disclaimer: If you really think anything but Jazlyn is mine, you are way off base. The world and most of the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I just own copies of the books and movies, as well as 2 fanfics.

_Chapter 4 - The Prank:_ Jazlyn walked down the steps slowly, wondering if she really ought to be doing this. She had almost been about to turn around and go back to bed when Sirius saw her. "Hey, Jazlyn, get down here," he called. _Damn it, _Jazlyn thought. _No turning back now._

Jazlyn joined the Marauders around the fire. Sirius and James were wearing evil grins, Remus was shaking his head, and Peter was looking eagerly at the other boys, hoping to hear the plan. Jazlyn smiled uncertainly as they turned to look at her. "So," she asked, "what's the plan?" James' and Sirius' evil grins widened. They beckoned Remus, Peter, and Jazlyn closer and whispered the plan while trying not to laugh.

When they finished, Jazlyn was grinning as evilly as James and Sirius, Peter was cracking up, and Remus was looking torn between amusement and shock. Jazlyn was imagining Bellatrix with... but she had to get the picture out of her mind or she would burst into hysterical laughter. But there was a problem. "How are you going to get in their dorm? You don't know their password. And won't someone see you?"

James laughed. "We're friends with the house-elves. They'll get us in. It's worked before. And as for not being seen, well, we have our ways." Sirius added, "OK, so, different jobs. Peter, the elves like you, you'll talk them into it. Remus, Jazlyn, you'll do research. Find the best potions or spells for the job. James and I will do the actual application. And then, well... we all enjoy the results."

And so Jazlyn and Remus were to be found in the library. It didn't take long before they found exactly what they needed and they brought their results to James and Sirius. Sirius said, "I knew you guys could do it! You are heroes!" James laughed as Remus and Jazlyn glanced at each other in amusement.

"You know," Remus muttered to Jazlyn as they left the two black haired boys to their plots, "they aren't quite as crazy as they seem." Jazlyn raised an eyebrow. "You're right," she agreed. "They're far worse." Remus laughed, nodding as he did so.

When Jazlyn got back to her dorm, Angel was waiting. _So, was I right? _the cat demanded. _Yes, _Jazlyn said tiredly. _But it won't last._ Angel hissed. _You are so negative, _she lectured. _The werewolf is nice. The others are wild but not cruel. They like you. Can't you see it?_

Jazlyn stiffened. _The 'werewolf' has a name. They all have names, you know._ She wasn't surprised to hear Angel call Remus a werewolf. Though her senses hadn't been attuned enough to tell that Remus wasn't all human in first year, Angel had told her. It didn't bug Jazlyn. After all, there were similarities between werewolves and changelings, which was the proper term for her abililties. Besides, Remus was a nice guy. He wasn't violent or anything, he just happened to be part wolf. She was technically part cat. If people knew, it would freak them out. It was all just prejudice, like her family hating her because her mother was French.

_The fact that you defend them says how much you are growing to like them, _Angel retorted, sounding smug. _Oh, shut up! _Jazlyn snapped, and she walked out.

At dinner, Jazlyn found herself with the Marauders. James announced, "Well, Peter convinced the elves. Tomorrow morning..." He and Sirius dissolved into laughter. Peter joined them. Remus chuckled and Jazlyn smiled.

The next morning at breakfast, certain Slytherins came down looking for blood. No one could blame them. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Regulus, Lucius, Snape, and the Lestrange brothers were murderous. And for good reason. All of them now had pink hair and green skin.

A/N: Hoped you liked that prank. Thanks to my friend Lauren for helping me come up with it! Oh, and about the werewolf thing, I figure there's probably a difference between human and werewolf scents, and Angel picked that up. She can't quite pick up the Animagus scent, but she knows there's something up there. Jazlyn doesn't, though.


	6. Repercussions

Disclaimer: Must I continue saying this? Jazlyn, Angel, and most of the Temaida family is mine, and if you steal them I shall hurt you, but everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling. Oh yeah, and Oompa-Loompas aren't mine either. The name Temaida comes from Tamora Pierce's Trickster's duology, and the name Jazlyn was borrowed from Amelia-Atwater Rhodes, but the character is still mine!

**_Chapter 5 - Repercussions:_** The entire Hall erupted in laughter. The affected Slytherins looked like... well, Jazlyn wasn't sure what they looked like exactly. Some first-year was yelling something about 'Oompa-Loompas', but Jazlyn had no idea what those might be. She was laughing with the rest when she heard someone behind her clearing their throat.

It was Professor McGonagall. She had obviously figured out that the Marauders had struck again. "Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew, come with me. You too, Temaida," the teacher snapped. _Damn it_, Jazlyn thought. _This could be bad. _

In McGonagall's office, the five teens sat down and waited for their sentence. McGonagall wasn't too pleased. "I cannot believe this. You boys are getting completely out of hand! It's only the sixth day of school! And as for you, Temaida, it's nice to see that you have friends, but really, getting involved with pranks like this is ridiculous! Detention for a week, all five of you! Now go to class!"

"That could have been worse," Sirius remarked as they left. "Yeah, remember when we took Snivelly's pants off?" James mused. "That got us a month." Peter snickered, Remus frowned, and Jazlyn shook her head. Sirius and James really were impossible.

The day passed like all the others, except that Jazlyn stayed with the Marauders and that the day ended doing detention with McGonagall. The next morning, however, something happened. At breakfast, Jazlyn got a letter - from her grandmother, Katherine. It read:

_Jazlyn, _

_How dare you! How dare you pull such childish pranks on honorable boys and girls like your cousin and her friends? Worse, how can you consort with blood traitors, half-bloods, and Mudbloods? Haven't you disgraced the family name enough by being a Gryffindor? You had best shape up if you don't want to be punished at Christmas._

_Sincerely,_

_Katherine Temaida_

Jazlyn stared numbly at the letter. She knew what punished meant. But how had her grandmother found out? She didn't know and right now she didn't care. She left the Hall, not realizing that she'd dropped her letter. Sirius picked it up and read it to the others in an undertone. This type of letter he knew only too well.

Outside, Jazlyn began running. Because she wasn't paying attention, she collided into someone. This someone happened to be her cousin Bellatrix. The black-haired girl - all of the Slytherins who had been pranked were back to normal, thanks to Madam Pomfrey - pushed Jazlyn savagely, knocking her to the floor. Bellatrix sneered at Jazlyn and yanked her up by her gold-brown hair. Jazlyn gasped in pain and stared at her cousin. As Jazlyn met the cold black of Bella's eyes, she suddenly knew how Katherine had found out the truth. Bella had told her.

"You little piece of filth," Bella hissed venomously. "Pull pranks on me? Consort with trash like your little friends? Grandmother Temaida might wait to punish you, but I don't think I will. You know, it would be nice for you to spend a little time in the catacombs. Remember last time? You were there for hours..." Bella laughed and dragged Jazlyn along. Jazlyn didn't know what else to do but scream. She hated the catacombs. They were so damp and dark...

When Jazlyn wasn't back by their first class, the Marauders began to worry about their new friend. Jazlyn was the responsible sort, and no matter how upset she might be, she would never cut class. "I hope nothing happened," Sirius muttered. " Because if it did..." He cut himself off. The other boys looked at him in shock. Sirius' tone was darkly threatening, with no hint of his usual levity.

Meanwhile, Jazlyn sat shaking in the catacombs. Bella had used the Silencing Charm on her, so her screams had been useless. And here she was again... she remembered the last time all too well.

She had been a first year and had made friends - or so she had thought - with and outcast Slytherin named Severus Snape. But he had only been pretending. As it turned out, all he wanted was to learn what scared her the most so he and his _real_ friends could use it to torment her. As it happened, Jazlyn was afraid of dark, closed-in spaces. So, after learning this, Snape and his friends had locked her up in the catacombs. Luckily, a seventh-year prefect from Gryffindor named Molly Prewett had found her because she'd heard Jazlyn's screams through some kind of vent. Terrified of more trouble, Jazlyn had claimed she'd gotten lost down there on her own rather than point the finger at her tormentors. It was after that incident that Jazlyn began to detach herself completely from others, except, to some extent, her cousin Andromeda. Andy knew how it felt to be out of place, but she was more defiant by nature than Jazlyn, or rather, the defiance had not been crushed out of her.

The entire day passed, and now the boys knew something was seriously wrong. Jazlyn hadn't reappeared all day, and they were worried. So they planned a way to search the school for her, forgetting they had detention.

Minerva McGonagall waited in vain for the five students to show up, and when they didn't, she marched up to Gryffindor Tower to find them. None of them were there, but another seventh-year, Ethan Thomas, said that Jazlyn had been absent all day, and that the boys had probably gone to see where she had gone. Minerva felt uneasy; the Slytherins were certainly not above retaliation and she had always been suspicious about the catacomb incident. She was sure that Temaida's story had been a lie, but as for why she lied, Minerva had no idea.

The Marauders were in the Shrieking Shack. Even though they usually never came here except at the full moon (and it was obvious that just being there made Remus edgy) they had needed a place to talk where they wouldn't be caught. The Shack was ideal for that.

"So." James began, looking thoughtful. "What do we know?" The boys looked at one another.

Sirius still had the letter from Jazlyn's grandmother. "We know that Jazlyn has a grandmother who's as bad as my mum," he said sardonically. "Beyond that, mate, we have nothing."

Jazlyn was trying not to panic. _Breathe_, she thought desperately. _Just breathe._ What was she going to do? Bella had used the full Body-Bind on her, so she couldn't move. It was far worse than last time. She had no way to - wait. _Angel!_ she yelled telepathically. _What?_ the cat asked irritably. _I'm stuck in the catacombs again_, Jazlyn told her pet. _I need to get out. Can you get someone? Yes, _Angel replied._ Already on it._

The boys were trying to figure out where they should go first when they heard an irate meow from behind Peter, who jumped about half a mile. "It's Jazlyn's cat!" said Remus. "But what does she want?"

"I think she wants us to follow," Peter said uncertainly. Sirius glared at the boy.

"Don't be a - " he began, but abruptly stopped when the cat yowled what sounded like an agreement.

"Damn," James muttered, impressed. "Well, let's go then," he said cheerfully.

Jazlyn heard footsteps. Please don't be Slytherins, please don't be Slytherins, she thought desperately. "Jaz?" a voice called. Had she been able to move, Jazlyn would have smiled. Sirius had begun calling her that after the midnight meeting they'd had and nothing she said had made him stop. She heard James' voice as he performed the countercurse; she sat up, shaking her head.

"Must you continue with that ridiculous nickname, Sirius?" she asked tiredly. She heard him laugh as she stood up, but then he stopped abruptly.

"So, who did it?" he asked sharply. Jazlyn flinched.

"Don't try lying," Remus added. "I remember first year. Molly knew you didn't tell the truth. I heard her telling Arthur Weasley about it." Jazlyn shifted uncomfortably, and then sighed.

"Bella, of course," she said flatly. "She, um, well, she didn't like that little joke, so... it's OK. I've had worse." She gasped. Had she said that? "I mean, well, she doesn't particularly like me anyway, but then, most of the family doesn't."

"It's not OK!" Sirius snapped. "Jaz, you've got to stand up for yourself! Letting families like ours walk all over us is just plain bad. Look at Andromeda. She's a lot happier now, isn't she? And me too. I took off. Maybe you ought to try it." Jazlyn glared at him.

"Well, I'm not Andy, and I'm not you! I can't go against them; they made sure of that a long time ago, so just leave it!"

James shook his head. "Somehow I doubt they took it out of you, Jazlyn, not if you can still yell like that. But let's leave it for now. I mean really, we ought to get out of here. The view sucks."

Jazlyn shook her head. James' sense of humor was very odd. She followed the boys out, trying not to look at Sirius. Something in his eyes told her this talk wasn't over.

A/N: Um... (cringes) Am I going to die? Sorry about the time it took to update, but my muses like to come and go. It's really quite annoying.


	7. Midnight Talk

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

**_Chapter 6 - Midnight Talk:_** When the five teens returned to Gryffindor Tower, Ethan Thomas told them that McGonagall had been looking for them. They went to her office to explain, and were told simply to report tomorrow. They turned to leave, and McGonagall said, "Temaida, I want a word." Jazlyn nodded, and the others left, although reluctantly.

"Sit down, Jazlyn," McGonagall said, her voice surprisingly kind. Jazlyn did so, wondering what was going on. "Now," McGonagall continued, "what really happened? I doubt you got lost again - in fact, I doubt you actually got lost last time." Jazlyn had been afraid of this, and even though she'd asked the boys not to mention that she'd been under the full Body-Bind when they'd found her, she'd known that it wouldn't work.

"I guess it was one of the Slytherins, in revenge for that prank, but I don't know who. I was Stunned from behind and woke up down in the catacombs with both the Silencing Charm and Body-Bind on me. That was this time, but I really did get lost before." There. A more convincing lie, that even had bits of truth in it.

McGonagall gave her a look that suggested disbelief but let her go. By the time Jazlyn got back to Gryffindor Tower, it was nearly midnight. She headed straight for bed, but found that she couldn't sleep. So she rummaged in her trunk for a certain book bound in red leather and went down to the common room, which was now deserted. Changing her eyes to cats' eyes, she opened the photo album (for that was what the book was) and flipped through its pages. It was one of her rituals for the sleepless nights that came on now and then. She paused on one of the pictures. Her mother (most of these pictures were of Selene Temaida) was alone in this one, her head angled slightly away from the camera. Her expression was that of someone lost in thought. She was Jazlyn's age in this photo, and the marked resemblance between mother and daughter was quite obvious here.

"Can't sleep?" said a voice behind her. Jazlyn froze, and then sighed in resignation, recognizing the voice of Sirius Black. She'd known this was coming. She turned to face him.

"No, I can't. I see you can't either."

"Well, actually, I probably could, but I want to talk to you. Jaz, why do you let them walk all over you? I'll bet they've been awful to you ever since you got Sorted into Gryffindor -"

Jazlyn laughed. She couldn't help it. "No, actually, it wasn't Gryffindor. I was born, that was enough for them." She could see that Sirius was a bit confused now, and she sighed. "Let me guess," she said dryly, "Your family didn't start their vendetta against you until you gave them a reason." Sirius nodded and she continued. "Well, in my case, things were a bit different. My father was in France and he met this woman. She was a witch, pureblood, by the name of Selene de Chardin."

"So what was the problem?" Sirius interrupted. "She was a pureblood..."

Jazlyn smiled ruefully. "She was French. My family doesn't believe in marrying those of other nationalities. Besides that, she was fiery, and unwilling to bend to the wishes of my grandmother, who is effectively the head of our family. Truly, I think they hoped she'd be infertile or something. So when I was born, they were really upset, but relieved that I was a girl. If I'd been a boy, I'd be the Temaida heir, and there would be no way around that unless they disowned me. Still, they disliked me, and they detested Mum. She died when I was 4, supposedly of an illness, but I'm pretty sure they - meaning Grandmother Katherine and my other relatives - poisoned her."

Sirius glanced at the picture Jazlyn had been looking at. She could be Jazlyn's twin, down to the wavy golden brown hair, except for the eyes. The girl in the picture had blue eyes, and Jazlyn's were amber. He pointed to the photograph. "Is this your mum?" he asked. She nodded. "So, you say that she was poisoned. What then?"

"Dad retreated to his library. He's an historian of sorts. I almost never see him. Since I look so much like Mum, he can hardly handle looking at me. He destroyed all her pictures; all of the ones I have are from Grandmere and Grandpere, her parents. I used to spend summers with them when I was small, but they died too. I'm the last of that family, which is another reason the relatives don't like me. I wound up an heiress anyway, even though I can't touch it until I'm 21, for some reason."

"You know," Sirius said, "this doesn't explain why you let them control you, Jaz."

"It does, actually. I can barely remember a time when I wasn't the outcast, and after Grandmere and Grandpere died when I was 6 and 8, that life was all I knew. I learned to hide in the background. It was just simpler to obey, so they took as little notice of me as possible. It's not so much what I said, that they took the defiance out of me, so much as they never gave me a chance to develop any. You can't understand that, Sirius."

She watched the expressions fly across his face in quick succession, wondering what the result would be. Suddenly, to her great surprise, he smiled slyly.

"Well, Jaz, maybe all you need is someone to teach you to break the rules a bit." Sirius looked amused, and his voice was light and teasing, but he meant what he said. One thing about Sirius was his loyalty to his friends, and Jazlyn was his friend now. He knew all too well what a family that hated you was like, and he was determined to give her a hand.

Jazlyn looked at Sirius oddly for a moment, and then ducked her head to hide the smile spreading over her own face. When she had forced her features into a calm, cool expression, she looked up. "All right, 'Professor'," she replied, and felt the smile return, despite her efforts to stop it.

A/N: So, there's Jazlyn's past for you - or some of it, anyway. R&R, people!


	8. Initiation

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

**_Chapter 7 - Initiation:_** During the last of September, a sign went up in the common room saying that the first Hogsmeade weekend would be on September 30th. "Oh, that's my birthday," Jazlyn said. She loved Hogsmeade.

On the 30th, Jazlyn and the Marauders walked down to Hogsmeade. They went to Honeydukes and Zonko's before heading to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer. Jazlyn, Remus, and Peter got a table while James and Sirius got the drinks. When the two black-haired boys returned, they passed around the tankards of butterbeer and sat down.

James banged his fist on the table, loud enough for the others to notice, but not so loud that the other patrons in the pub were bothered. "All right, to business, everyone."

"What business?" asked Jazlyn.

"You, actually," Sirius told her.

"What?"

James sighed theatrically. "OK, you've done a prank with us, been hanging with us almost since school started, and - " Sirius elbowed him hard; whatever else he was going to say was cut off and he didn't try again.

Sirius continued from there. "The fact is, Jaz, you know too much. So either we have to kill you, or - "

Remus cut in. "Which, of course, we won't do, so all that's left is to initiate you."

Jazlyn raised an eyebrow. "Initiate me?"

"Yeah," James said cheerfully. He cleared his throat and then said, in a fake-formal voice, "We, the Four Marauders of Hogwarts, hereby initiate you as the Fifth Marauder. As such, you must agree to be willing to participate in any group pranks we ask of you, and to never betray a fellow Marauder to the authorities."

"Which means McGonagall, mainly," interjected Sirius. James glared at him for interrupting.

"Do you promise to uphold these duties, Jazlyn Temaida?" James concluded, giving her a mock-severe look.

"Sure," Jazlyn said, trying not to laugh.

"I guess it's official then," Peter said. "Welcome to the club, Jaz!"

Jazlyn groaned. "You know, that nickname is all your fault, Sirius."

"I know," he replied, with an unrepentant grin. She rolled her eyes.

"And... I know I've forgotten something. Oh yeah, Happy birthday!" And James handed her a wrapped package. She opened it, grinning when she saw a general joke package from Zonko's. Remus gave her his gift next, and it was a wizard chess set.

"This way, you don't have to borrow Lily's anymore when we play," he told her. Peter gave her a box of Chocolate Frogs. Then Sirius pulled a long, thin box out of his pocket. Inside was a necklace. It was silver, with a Celtic knot pendant.

"Oh, wow. It's really pretty. Thanks, Sirius. Actually, thanks for all the gifts, guys." She tried to put the necklace on, but she fumbled with the clasp. Suddenly she felt someone take the chain from her hands and close the clasp. She knew it was Sirius, and she thanked him, while trying to ignore the tingle on her neck where the tips of his fingers brushed.

A/N: This was just a bit of fun, and I hope you liked it. R&R!


	9. Nighttime Chats

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

**_Chapter 8 - Nighttime Chats:_** That night, the topic of discussion in the 7th year boys' dormitory was the newest Marauder. Remus, James, and Sirius - Peter had fallen asleep - were deciding when to let Jazlyn in on the rest of their secrets.

"Don't tell her about... my problem yet," Remus said. "We have no idea how she'll react."

"Which means," James added, slanting a look at Sirius, "we don't mention being Animagi, either."

"Why'd you look at me?" Sirius demanded. James shook his head.

"Because you're already half in love with the girl. I mean, what guy gives a girl jewelry when they aren't interested in them?" Sirius shook his head.

"I just thought she'd like it. Besides, she's not my type."

"Padfoot," Remus pointed out, "you don't _have_ a type. You'll go after any girl, and then drop her when you get bored. Is that your plan with Jazlyn?"

"I don't like her! And if I did, I couldn't do that. She's my friend. And I don't see why you're so worried. Do _you_ like her?"

"No, I just don't want to see her being another of your heartbroken conquests." James, sensing danger, moved the topic off of Jazlyn before Remus and Sirius killed each other.

Meanwhile, Jazlyn herself was wandering the halls in cat form. It had been too long since she'd had time to do this. She stopped to talk to Mrs. Norris, the kitten belonging to Filch, the old caretaker, and to visit her longtime friend Janie, who belonged to a fifth year Hufflepuff.

She was headed back towards the dormitory when she smelled another cat behind her. The cat was a gray-striped tabby. Her scent - the cat was definitely female; Jazlyn could tell - was familiar, but Jazlyn was sure she'd never seen her before. She meowed a greeting.

_Hi, I'm Sage._ It was her cat nickname. Jazlyn's mother had liked to grow herbs, but her favorite had been sage. One of Jazlyn's only memories of Selene had been a day when the woman had burned sage as some kind of good luck charm or something. The cat fixed her with a stern eye.

_Stripes_, said the cat. _I don't recall seeing you before, Sage. Where did you get that name, anyway?_

_My owner's idea. She's crazy._ _I don't recognize you either. Your scent is familiar though. _

_It's probably my owner's. I belong to Minerva McGonagall. She's a teacher._

_Oh, yeah, I hear the young humans talking about her. I belong to Jazlyn Temaida. _

_I thought her cat was called Angel._

_She has two of us. I'm newer. _She was, in a manner of speaking.

_Really? How nice. I don't have to live with any other cats. I prefer that._

_I like Angel though. She's great, showed me the ropes_. That was completely true.

_Good. Well, I have to go now. Good-bye._

_Bye._

The two cats trotted off in different directions. Soon, Jazlyn ran into Angel. _Hey, Angel, how come you never told me McGonagall has a cat? I just met her. Stripes. _

_Sage_ - when Jazlyn was in cat form, Angel called her Sage - _what are you talking about? McGonagall doesn't have a cat._

_She doesn't? But then... _Jazlyn was confused. She went back to the tower and changed back. What had that been about? But she had a suspicion.

The next day, she looked up the list of registered Animagi in the library, and sure enough, McGonagall was there. She could become a gray-striped tabby. In fact, now that Jazlyn thought about it, she remembered studying Animagi back in 3rd year. McGonagall had transformed for them. She'd forgotten. _I can't believe I was talking to McGonagall_, Jazlyn thought, thoroughly creeped out.

A/N: OK, that was a dumb chapter. But I've had both the boys' talk and the Jazlyn/McGonagall meeting in my head for a while. As for the names of Jazlyn and McGonagall's alter egos, that was because it would have been too obvious who they really were if real names were used. Just a thing for the plot. Also, if anyone sees Jazlyn in cat form, Jazlyn can say, "Oh, Sage? She's mine. I found her in the castle and I take care of her during the year," or something to that effect.


	10. Autumn Magic

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

_Chapter 10 - Autumn Magic: _October passed for Jazlyn. She continued to spend her time with the Marauders, and they enjoyed having her around. James and Sirius said this was because she was quiet and never cut off their insane ramblings; Remus said it was because she was the only one he could have an adult conversation with. Peter didn't really say much at all; he seemed to be less integrated into the group than the others.

On Halloween, after classes she was actually by herself, looking out the window. But for once she wasn't really seeing the beautiful autumn scenery. She was thinking about someone, all the while telling herself she was not thinking about this someone.

"Hey." It was Remus. Jazlyn smiled worriedly. Remus was smart; he might figure out what she was thinking. "You OK?"

"Yeah, sure. Just enjoying the scenery."

_Sure you are_, Remus retorted silently. Out loud he said, "Well let's go downstairs. The feast is about to start."

That night, one subject was the talk of the Gryffindor table. Lily Evans, after years of refusal, had finally agreed to go on a date with James Potter - "if it'll shut you up, fine!" was what witnesses claimed she'd said. James was on Cloud Nine.

" Well, looks like the autumn magic helped you, my boy. But now you've got her, you have to keep her, Prongs. How are you going to do that?" Sirius wanted to know. James scowled at him.

"You just have to ruin things for me, don't you, Paddy?" groaned James. Sirius smirked.

"Damn straight. It's fun." For once it was Jazlyn who got violent as she whacked Sirius upside the head. James, Sirius, and Peter were stunned; Remus looked amused.

"Ouch! What happened to the sweet, gentle Jaz I know?" Sirius said.

"I've spent too much time with you guys," Jazlyn suggested innocently.

"So, what will you and Lily be doing on your date, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Well, we're going to Hogsmeade, but... I hope she doesn't want to go to that Madam Puddifoot's place, but if she does, we'll go there."

"Well, under any other circumstances, I'd be angry at you for ditching us in Hogsmeade, but I say, good luck, mate!" Sirius declared.

"Thanks, and maybe you should ask the girl you like on a date." This was the kind of thing Sirius would usually laugh off. But he froze instead, looking slightly alarmed. Sirius Black, alarmed at the suggestion of asking a girl out? That wasn't normal. Jazlyn felt her heart sink, and pretended it wasn't doing so. He obviously had his eye on some really pretty girl, like Mei Leung in Ravenclaw - no, Mei was going out with Hanwei Chang. Well, some other really hot girl then.

"Excuse me," she said, knowing she was obvious and hating it. She went upstairs, to the deserted common room.

"Idiot," she whispered fiercely, flinging herself on the couch. "So stupid. Like he'd ever be interested in you. He just feels sorry for you. They probably all do. You should have never..." She continued in this vein, though she hadn't said a word of it in English. Her mother's parents had taught her French, and she was still fluent. Mainly from rants like this one.

"Always good, being able to vent in foreign languages. Jaz, what's wrong?" Sirius sat down next to her on the couch. She looked away from him.

"Nothing," she mumbled. He cocked an eyebrow behind her back.

He gripped her chin in his hand and made her look at him. "Jaz, come on. You're flipping out in French. What's up?"

"Why do you care? Why aren't you off flirting with Mei or whoever your latest target is?"

"What? Where'd _that_ come from?"

"James. The whole thing about whoever it is you like." Sirius frowned.

"Oh. Mei? Are you nuts? She's way too whiny. I do like somebody though."

"Shouldn't you be talking to her, then? I'm just... honestly, I don't know what came over me."

"Who says I'm not already talking to her?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I... you're joking."

"No, I'm not." He was much too close. She should probably have pushed him away, but she didn't want to. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, and then came back again, kissing her hard and long this time. For a second she didn't respond; she was too stunned. But then she was kissing him back.

They came up for air, and Sirius said, "Listen, Jaz, I'm sorry. If you didn't want me -"

"Sirius, if you're going to apologize, I'll hex you."

"Oh, well, in that case..." He kissed her again. What was it he'd said had helped James? Autumn magic? Well, Jazlyn certainly felt that this qualified as magic.

A/N: OK, was anyone _not_ expecting that sooner or later?


	11. Christmas Woes

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

_Chapter 11 - Christmas Woes:_ Jazlyn wasn't invisible anymore. She was the girlfriend of one of the most popular boys in school, and she hung out with him and his friends. It was a change that took getting used to, but she enjoyed it, much to her surprise.

The night before the Christmas break, she was in the common room with the Marauders. She was sitting on a couch with Sirius, James, and Lily. James and Lily's date had gone well, and they were now an item. Remus was sitting in an armchair next to them, and Peter was sitting on the floor. Remus had a copy of the Evening Prophet open on his lap and was frowning at it.

"What's wrong, Remus?" Lily wanted to know.

"It's that Dark wizard, Voldemort. His group's claiming responsibility for another Muggle mass killing." Lily's emerald eyes flashed; she was a Muggle-born, and took such things personally. James put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Jazlyn and Sirius glanced at each other, both thinking that the reactions of their relatives over in Slytherin would be very different.

Trying to change the subject, Sirius said, "So, what are everyone's plans for the break?"

"Well, I'll go home and try not to let Petunia bother me. I think she's bringing her fiance Vernon over, unfortunately." Lily rolled her eyes as she finished her statement. "They're perfect for each other. They hate anything that's outside their definition of normal, and I certainly am that."

"So, the Muggle version of the Blacks?" Sirius wanted to know. Lily nodded. "What kind of a name is Vernon?" he added. Lily didn't answer; she looked like she was fighting back laughter.

"I'm going to deal with another party where all the relatives pinch my cheeks and marvel over how much I've grown," James said gloomily. When Sirius snickered, James added, "Don't you laugh, mate. You're staying with me this year, remember. They'll do the same to you." Sirius cringed.

Peter and Remus were going home as well. Jazlyn scowled when the others looked at her. "I've been ordered to attend the Christmas Eve ball this year. It's our family's turn to host it." The Christmas Eve ball was a yearly event hosted by a different pure-blood family each year. "They usually don't let me come when it's somewhere else, and encourage me to leave as soon as possible when we host it. But my grandmother wants me there the whole time. I wonder if she's losing her mind."

"Ah, she probably wants to show off her most beautiful granddaughter," Sirius said with a grin. Jazlyn laughed. She didn't blush at those comments, though she had when he'd first started to say them. She was used to it now.

The next day, the six teens shared a compartment - though for a while, it was just the five of them. Peter disappeared for about an hour and refused to say where he'd been, though his red cheeks prompted Sirius and James to tease him about being on the lookout for a girl. "So, who's your crush, Petie?" James said with a grin. Lily ordered them to stop when Peter kept getting redder, and they did, though reluctantly. But Lily was scary when angry, and very good with hexes. Jazlyn said nothing, her eyes on Peter. He shifted under that golden gaze. Peter hadn't been out after a girl, but the fact that his friends thought so was good. But from the way Jazlyn was looking at him, he had a feeling she suspected something else.

When they left the train, James kissed Lily before walking over to his parents. Lily headed for the gateway to meet her parents. Remus and Peter waved and left. Sirius and Jazlyn looked at each other. "Take care of yourself, then. Don't let them be too evil." With that, Sirius kissed her and then strode over to the Potters. Jazlyn smiled before Disapparating.

When she got home, there was a note on her bed from her grandmother. She was to come to Katherine's rooms immediately. She didn't like this, not one bit.

She reached her grandmother's door and knocked. "Enter," an imperious voice called. Jazlyn did so. Katherine was in the first room, her sitting room, seated on a Victorian-style chair. As always, she wore black, and her white hair was twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her hazel eyes were hard. She looked exactly like what she was; the matriarch of the Temaida family, who ruled her children and grandchildren with a heavy hand.

"Ah. Jazlyn. I'm glad to see that you can be prompt, at least. You received my letter?"

"Yes, Grandmother."

"Good. So you know that you are attending the Ball this year. Dinner will be hosted in the banquet hall in the east wing, the dancing in the adjoining ballroom and you must present yourself in the east drawing room with the rest of us at seven o'clock. One of the servants will set out appropriate clothes for you." Jazlyn nodded in understanding.

"I also wish to discuss your recent choice of friends. While I could do very little while you were at school, I must now forbid you to see any of them again. Do not shame us further by continuing to associate with such a second-class group. You will not be punished now, but if you continue to spend time with those people, you will be." Only years of hiding her emotions and holding her tongue kept Jazlyn silent and her face expressionless at the way her grandmother described her friends. "I see that you understand. Dismissed." Jazlyn left her grandmother immediately; she did not trust her abilities to stay controlled if she stayed much longer.

Katherine watched her granddaughter go, her mind busy. _It's a good thing the chit looks so much like her mother, French whore or not. Selene was beautiful, at least. And Jazlyn... if what young Bella has told me is true, the eldest Black boy has already fallen under the spell of that bronze hair and golden eyes. And Jazlyn seems to reciprocate his feelings. The Black looks are good ones, and shared through the family; it should make my plan all the simpler._

The next day was Christmas Eve. Jazlyn spent a lot of her time in the library, avoiding her father as best she could. He usually came to the large libraryfor a book or two, before returning to his office, where he spent most of his time. Jazlyn knew he wouldn't be at the Ball; he probably didn't even know it was today. Katherine wouldn't press him; she was forceful, but not an idiot, and she knew that it was unlikely her eldest son even heard her periodical lectures on how he ought to remarry for the family's sake.

When she returned to her room at four o'clock, a servant, Mary, was waiting. Mary was a Squib; the Temaidas hired only Squibs or hard-on-their-luck Muggleborns and half-bloods as servants, ever since a house-elf's mistake had killed the Temaida patriarch, sometime in the 1700s.

"Miss Jazlyn, you ought to have been here an hour ago! Oh, well, we'll have to make do." She held up a set of amber-colored silk dress robes. "Mistress Katherine wished you to wear these tonight."

Jazlyn eyed the robes. They looked vaguely familiar, and after she had put them on and seen her own reflection, she realized why; they were her mother's. Where had Katherine gotten them? From what she knew, all of her mother's things had been destroyed, except what she had. Then again, Katherine seemed to want her on display tonight for some reason, and she knew that the robes had suited Selene, and that Jazlyn looked much like her mother. Katherine may have simply ordered new robes of the same style and color.

It seemed to take forever for Mary to do Jazlyn's hair, but that was only because the woman couldn't decide what to do. To Jazlyn's annoyance, the final style was the first one Mary had tried; a simple bun, with wispy curls hanging loose. Jazlyn liked the effect, but knew she could have done it herself and wondered what all the fuss was about. She told Mary that if makeup was necessary, she could do it herself, and that she needed no more assistance. Jazlyn wasn't imperious by nature, but she saw it quite often, and was a good mimic. She did her makeup; simple, a golden eyeshadow to match the dress, a hint of blush, and a hint of lipcolor in a pale gold-bronze color. She wanted to wear the necklace Sirius had given her, but she didn't want to draw attention to it, in fear that it would be taken once her grandmother learned who the giver had been. So she wore a citrine drop on a gold chain, with dangling earrings to match - the jewelry had been left on her dresser, presumably by Mary or another servant.

At seven o'clock, Jazlyn went to the east drawing room. There she and her relatives greeted their guests as they arrived. Her cousins, both the Temaidas as well as Cissy kept shooting surprised glances at her. Bella, however, didn't seem at all surprised to see Jazlyn.

When all the guests had arrived, they all went into the banquet hall. Jazlyn searched for a namecard with her name on it - seats were assigned - and found that her seat was between Bella and Regulus Black. This was unusual; not that she had been placed near Bella, but that she had also been placed near Regulus. He was the heir to the Black family now that Sirius had been disowned; his parents would be looking for a good match for him. He looked a lot like Sirius, with the black hair and similar features. The main difference was that his eyes were ice blue, instead of Sirius' smoky gray. A chill ran down Jazlyn's spine, but she shook it off. The idea that had popped into her head was ridiculous.

Bella, naturally, ignored her cousin the entire time, instead speaking to the person on her other side, Rodolphus Lestrange. It was known around Hogwarts that the two were lovers, and it was likely that they would end up married. Regulus, on the other hand, attempted to start a conversation with Jazlyn, but seemed unsure of what to say. She pitied him, in a way; although he was one of her Slytherin tormentors, he'd always seemed to be part of that group because it was expected of him, rather than out of any true enjoyment for their activities.

"Becoming shy around girls, Black?" Lucius Malfoy said mockingly to Regulus, whom he was seated across from. Regulus glared at Lucius and then turned back to Jazlyn.

"So, Jazlyn, it's your NEWT year, yes? Tell me, are the teachers as forceful about their importance as they were with OWLs?" He actually seemed curious about this, but then, from what she knew, Regulus was an academic.

"Yes, but they've been on about it since sixth year, which I'm sure you know yourself. How are you finding NEWT classes?"

"Difficult, but enjoyable. I enjoy Slughorn's lessons the most, but I always was fond of potions. What is your favorite subject?"

"I would have to say Ancient Runes. It's not a common class, and it's fascinating."

"I didn't take it, I'm afraid. Which do you find harder, Transfiguration or Charms?"

Their conversation stayed in this vein; stiff, polite, and not about anything more than school. Then, after dinner, the group moved into the ballroom. Regulus asked her for the first dance, and also requested the last one. Jazlyn said yes to both requests; Regulus seemed a bit more decent than the other boys there.

She was certainly not too pleased by her second dance partner. Lucius Malfoy didn't even ask; he simply blocked her way off the floor after she danced with Regulus and led her into the next dance. Narcissa kept shooting them furious looks; her crush on Lucius was well-known. But she needn't have worried; Lucius only wanted the chance to torment her.

"You really have no idea why you're here, do you, Temaida?"

"I don't see why you would care, Malfoy," she responded icily. He laughed, a cold laugh that made her nervous.

"They're displaying you as marriage fodder. They're looking to match you with a pureblood boy who will tame your sudden defiance and turn you into a dutiful pureblood wife and mother. It's too bad that I have plans to wed another; I would enjoy... _taming_ you," he told her with a smirk before he let her go and she fled while trying not to look frightened. The idea of being 'tamed' by someone like Malfoy made her sick. She took a goblet of mulled mead from a passing servant, wishing that they served something besides alcohol at these things. She drank it, though, composing herself.

All in all, she was quite relieved when the evening was over. The next morning, there were presents at the foot of her bed from her friends as well as from her cousin Andromeda. Lily had given her a Muggle novel called _The Lord of the Rings_ that appeared to be three novels in one, James gave her a set of Gobstones (probably because he thought she needed to have more fun), Remus gave her a blank journal (a nod to the fact that they'd all seen her writing), a pack of Self-Shuffling Cards from Peter, and a charm bracelet from Sirius. Andromeda had given her a photo album. Jazlyn liked her gifts but quickly put them in her trunk so that no one noticed them. She hoped her friends had gotten their gifts. She'd slipped them into each person's trunk when they weren't looking.

She was reading one of the books from the library when Mary came to her room and told her that her grandmother wished to see her again. She frowned as she went back to see Katherine once more.

Katherine looked up from a letter she was writing as her granddaughter came in. "Jazlyn. I'm sure you noticed your seating arrangement last night? How did you get on with young Regulus?"

That chill came back. Maybe she had been right after all... "He seemed like an alright sort, Grandmother. We honestly weren't very comfortable with one another."

"Really? Well, you'd best learn to be, because you will be formally betrothed to him this summer, once you finish school."

A/N: Oh, I guess this counts as a cliffie? Oh dear, I think I'm in trouble...


	12. Andie's Advice

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

_Chapter 12 - Andie's Advice:_ Two days later, Jazlyn hurried along the London street, bowing her head against the snowy wind. When she got to the proper house, she knocked on the door. A bespectacled, brown-haired man of medium height answered the door. "Jazlyn," Ted Tonks said in surprise. "It's good to see you."

Jazlyn smiled at him. "Hello, Ted. Is Andie home?" Ted nodded and stood aside to let Jazlyn in. In the living room, playing with a small Quidditch set on the floor, sat Ted and Andie's daughter, Nymphadora.

"Aunt Jazlyn!" she cried, getting up and running over to give her honorary aunt a hug, nearly tripping on her way there.

"Hey there, Nymph," Jazlyn said with a grin. She glanced at the little girl's bright blue hair. "Working on your powers there, I see," she remarked.

"Yep!" Nymph said cheerfully. "Mom said it looks like a blueberry."

"Because it does," said a smooth female voice. Andromeda came down the stairs. As always, Jazlyn envied her cousin's utter serenity, though she knew that the serenity had been hard-won.

"Hey, Andie. Can we talk?"

"Sure, Jazlyn." The cousins went into the kitchen and Andie poured tea. "So, what's going on?"

Jaxlyn took a deep breath, and the story of practically her entire seventh year thus far spilled out. "And now I have to marry Regulus, and I just don't know what to do," she finished. Andie eyed her, running a hand through her sleek cap of mink brown hair as she thought.

"Jazlyn," she began, but she got no further. The whooshing sound of the living room Floo caught their attention and they went to see who it was. Jazlyn's stomach sank when she saw it was Sirius. She didn't think she could face him now, not now that she was promised to his brother.

"Hey, Andie, Ted, Nymph," he said cheerfully. Then he saw Jazlyn. "Jaz! What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. Visiting family that's actually decent." He laughed. She smiled, though it wasn't her best smile.

Sirius knew something was wrong, but a look from Andie stopped his questions. He and Jazlyn stayed for lunch, and then he went back to the Potters. Jazlyn and Andie picked up their conversation.

"Jazlyn, you don't _have_ to marry Regulus. You've gone this far, why not break away completely? I know it's not going to be easy, but you can handle it."

Jazlyn looked at the older woman. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"I need to think. I... I'm not sure how to do this. I think I'll play along, for now. But you're right; I don't have to marry Regulus, and I know I can't marry him. It would kill me." She smiled sadly. "But he... he's not as bad as the others, so maybe I can talk to him or something."

"Reg is likely to listen. He's all right, just too concerned with appearances. That would be why he hangs out with Malfoy, Snape, and the rest."

Jazlyn left not long after, feeling somewhat better. She still had a situation on her hands, but it wasn't as bad as it had seemed.

A/N: So, nothing is really solved yet. But we're on the way. R&R!


	13. A Werewolf's Two Cents

Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

**_Chapter 13 - A Werewolf's Two Cents:_** When Jazlyn returned to school, she hid her worries well. Among her friends, she was her usual self, quiet but cheerful, and growing steadily less quiet. But when she was alone, the mask dropped away. No matter what her cousin said, she didn't know how she was going to get out of this one.

She was standing in the clock tower, looking down at the courtyard, when she heard someone clearing his throat. She whirled. "Oh, hello, Remus. You scared me."

"Sorry about that. What are you doing up here?"

"Oh, just thinking."

"About what? You seem upset."

"It's nothing. Honestly." She smiled at him. "I appreciate the concern, though."

"Hey, we're friends, right? If you decide you want to talk..." He shrugged and turned to go. She watched him, biting her lip. Of everyone in the group, Remus was the one she was closest to - with the obvious exception of Sirius. Remus already felt like a brother to her.

After a moment's indecision, she called, "Remus?"

He turned around; he'd been expecting her to change her mind. "Yes?"

"I..." And the whole story came spilling out. When she finished, she shook her head. "I'm just lost. I don't know what to do."

Remus stared at her. He was grateful his parents were both halfbloods. He'd seen enough evidence of how cruel some of the purebloods could be, and this was just more of that. He tried to find something to say. Finally, he asked, "Does Sirius know?" He was already pretty sure of the answer, though.

"No. I'm afraid to tell him. He might blame Regulus, and I don't think it was his idea. And... I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, anyway."

Remus' jaw dropped. "What do you mean, Jaz? I know you love Sirius; what's this about?"

"I'm scared. I know my mother was killed by my relatives. They might do the same to me, or to Sirius, which would be even worse for me. But if I do what they want... but I don't think I can."

Remus nodded, understanding. "What do you want?"

"I want to be with Sirius, of course! And Regulus doesn't seem too bad, but..." She stopped. There was no choice. "I can't marry Regulus because he's not too bad, though," she whispered. "I can't do it."

"I didn't think so," Remus said. "But, Jaz, you're going to have to talk to them both. Maybe Regulus won't be too much of a problem. And Sirius deserves to know. If he hears if from someone else first..."

Jazlyn shuddered. She didn't want that to happen. "You're right. You won't tell him, will you?"

"No. But you'd better tell him right away." He saw that she was scared still, of defying her family in such a big, final way. He hugged her. "You can do this, you know."

She smiled sadly. "I hope so. Thanks, Remus." She left the tower, heading for the common room. When she got there, she saw Sirius and James playing wizard's chess.

"Sorry to interrupt," she began.

"No interruption," Sirius said, grinning up at her. But the grin faded at the look on her face. "What?"

"We need to talk," she said.

A/N: Um... does this count as a cliffie? And about the clock tower; I'm pretty sure that was only in the movie, but in spite of the bad retelling the 3rd movie had, the visuals rocked, and I loved that tower. I just had to use it. R&R!


	14. Flashpoint

Disclaimer: Not mine.

_**Chapter 14 - Flashpoint:**_ "What's going on, Jaz?" Sirius asked. The were in the seventh-year boys' dorm, sitting on Sirius' bed. No one was there, so they could have privacy. Jazlyn bit her lip. Sliding off the bed, she began to pace.

"It's... well, remember how I said that it was odd that my grandmother wanted me at the Christmas Ball?" She waited for his nod before continuing. "I found out why she wanted me there." Sirius gave her a quizzical look and seemed about to interrupt, but she shook her head. "Don't interrupt me. I'm nervous enough as it is, and I don't need a reason to stop. You see... my grandmother has decided to take my future into her hands. She doesn't approve of, of us, and she's decided to fix it. Her solution is... she's cooked up a betrothal between me and, and... your brother. They're trying to get me to marry Regulus."

Sirius' expression was akin to being clubbed over the head. "Regulus? You're joking."

"No. It could be worse, actually... Lucius Malfoy made that obvious..."

"What did he say to you?"

"He'd love to 'tame me', I believe was his phrase. But that's not important now; he's not involved. The thing is, Sirius, my family's shown they're capable of killing for defiance, what if they go after after me or you when I say no?"

"You mean you didn't already refuse?" He was furious.

"Well, of course not! I've been trying to find some way out of it, but I didn't think yelling at my grandmother was the smartest thing to do."

"Of course not, because you're still so damn scared of them! And I can't believe you actually are even thinking that you might not be able to get out of it, actually considering doing it." He was pacing himself now. Then he muttered, "I bet Regulus just loves this."

"Excuse me?" Jazlyn had been staring out the window; now she whirled. "What do you mean by that?" Her voice wasn't angry, it was calm, almost friendly.

"I mean, he's got to be thrilled. He was always the favorite, he was so smug when I got disowned, and now he's getting my girlfriend."

Jazlyn felt suddenly cold, but not with fear. It was anger. "So, you're saying, that if he's at all enthusiastic about marrying me, it's because he's stealing something from you?"

Sirius looked at her then, and seemed to realize he'd screwed up, because he said, "I, Jaz, I didn't mean it like that!"

"More like you didn't mean to let it slip," she corrected quietly. "I can't help but wonder now, Sirius. Are you so mad because you might lose me, or because your brother's 'getting' something you consider yours, even if only for now?" Sirius stared at her, wondering where she'd gotten that. But before he'd contradicted her, she'd walked out of the dormitory, leaving him staring blankly at the door as it swung shut.

A/N: Well, what did you think of that?


	15. Aftermath

Disclaimer: Not mine.

_**Chapter 15 - Aftermath:**_ It didn't take long for the whole school to know that Sirius Black and Jazlyn Temaida had broken up, though the details were still mostly unknown. The only Marauder Jazlyn still spoke to was Remus; James and Peter were on Sirius' side. Lily, however, was firmly in Jazlyn's corner. This led to a few rows with James; eventually, in desperation, James voted the Jazlyn/Sirius situation a forbidden topic. Remus was torn. He knew what had happened and thought Sirius had been an idiot; however, he thought Jazlyn was overreacting a bit.

Sirius still wasn't sure what had happened. He understood that what he said might have seemed insulting, but he hadn't meant it to be! And, he told himself irritably, any sane person would have known that. Jazlyn, for her part, simply felt that she should have seen this coming, something that enraged Angel. _You never expect things to go well, do you? _the cat demanded a month later, as Jazlyn maintained her icy silence.

_It's good I don't, isn't it?_ Jazlyn retorted. _See what happens?_ But honestly, she wished she could just give in, talk it over with Sirius. Deep down, she knew he hadn't meant it the way it had come out, but still...

Meanwhile, Regulus had watched all this unfold from a distance with some nervousness. Sirius had been right, a little; at first, it had occurred to Regulus that it would be a slap in the face to Sirius if Regulus married Jazlyn. However, after the Christmas ball, that had slipped from his mind. He liked Jazlyn. He didn't think he was in love with her, but he could see himself being happy with her, which was all he could hope for in an arranged marriage. But, he knew she'd never given official consent; though only a technicality as far as both families were concerned, they did need her official consent to go through with the wedding.

So, Regulus decided to get to know her better. He sent her an note by owl post asking her if she wanted to meet up in Hogsmeade, and she agreed. On that morning, Jazlyn felt edgy. She knew what she had to do, and was a bit scared. She met Regulus in the Three Broomsticks, and she gave him a bright smile when she sat down. But then, of course, the same thing happened as at the Ball; both were naturally shy and had nothing to say.

"Um... are you mad, about the betrothal?" Regulus asked. Jazlyn looked hard at him.

"I didn't see that coming. A bit, yeah. I resent the idea of being told to marry someone, you know?"

"Yeah."

"Listen, Regulus... I don't think I should have come here." She had to be honest. "I can't marry you."

Regulus blinked in shock. "But you and Sirius..."

"It's not about him," Jazlyn said. "Your idiot brother lost his influence over me. This is about me. I can't just do what I'm told anymore. You seem like an alright person, though if you keep spending all your time with Bella and her lot, they'll force that out of you. But I can't do this. That was why I came today. I'm really sorry." She stood and walked out. She didn't see the Marauders staring at her in shock; a spell had let them hear everything.

Jazlyn's next stop was the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. She knew it was connected to the Floo Network, and she was going home for the last time. "Temaida Manor," she called, stepping into emerald flames.

She didn't go straight to her grandmother, as might have been expected. Instead, she went to the library, where her father would be hiding. She walked in, as always slightly uncomfortable with the darkened room - her father said too much light ruined the books. He was sitting at his desk, carefully repairing an old volume which had a cracked spine. He heard footsteps and looked up, the eyes behind the wire glasses the same amber-gold as her own. "Selene?" he whispered. Jazlyn shook her head.

"No, Dad. It's me, Jazlyn."

"Oh. What do you want, Jazlyn?"

"I'm saying... good-bye."

"Good-bye? Where are you going?"

"I... Grandmother tried to arrange my marriage. I'm refusing to marry the boy, Regulus Black, so I'm sure she'll disown me." Her father stared at her, an odd look in his eyes.

"I didn't know that."

"I don't expect she'd think it necessary to tell you, and I never said anything because I didn't think you'd care," she replied, with uncharacteristic bitterness. Her father looked hurt, and then guilty.

"No, I don't suppose you would," he admitted. He looked down at the broken book again, before returning his gaze to his daughter. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done. "That's my fault. I just, I couldn't..."

"I make you think of Mom. I understand, really."

"It wasn't an excuse."

"Maybe not, but it's done now. I'm going."

"Jazlyn..." She stopped, halfway to the door, and turned. "If I wrote you occasionally, would you mind?"

She bit her lip, fighting back the urge to cry. It was so stupid, so childish to tear up, but she couldn't help it. "I'd like that," she whispered, and then she left. She went to her room and packed up the few things she didn't already have with her. Then she heard her door open, and turned to face her grandmother. "Hello, Grandmother," she said. Katherine didn't respond. Her hand lashed out, and Jazlyn was knocked back before she'd realized that her grandmother had backhanded her. She put her hand to her cheek, where she could feel blood oozing from where her grandmother's ring had cut her. She stared up at Katherine, surprised.

"How dare you refuse the Black boy? You actually think your feelings matter? You foolish child. I can see those friends of yours have done their damage. Well, I will fix that. You're leaving early. You don't need exam results to be a wife and mother, so you're done."

Jazlyn stood slowly, taking out her wand. "No, I'm not," she said quietly.

Katherine's eyes flashed dangerously, a reaction that would have once made Jazlyn scurry away, but now seemed to have lost its effect. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not leaving Hogwarts. I am leaving here, and never coming back. Now, get out of my way."

"You dare...?" But Katherine never finished her sentence. She'd stepped forward menacingly, and Jazlyn reacted.

"_Stupefy_!" she cried, and her grandmother fell to the floor, unconscious. Jazlyn swallowed hard and then, picking up her bag, stepped around the Stunned woman, and walked out. She kept going, until she had reached the fireplace, and then she went back to Hogwarts. She stepped out of the flames to find all four Marauders and Lily alone in the common room. They turned to look at her, obviously surprised.

"Are you allowed to do that?" Lily asked.

"No, are you going to dock points?"

Lily shook her head. "Of course not! But, why..."

"I'll tell you later." She walked up the staircase to put her bag in the dormitory. Sitting on her bed, she looked at Angel, who had waited for her. _I did it_, she said.

_I knew you could._

A/N: So, tell me what you think!


	16. Meddling

Disclaimer: Not mine.

_**Chapter 16 - Meddling:**_ Lily waited all of 30 seconds before sprinting up to the dormitory. "Jazyln Temaida, what happened?" Jazlyn spun to look at her.

"Didn't I say...?"

"This is later."

"Hmph." But she told her everything. Afterwards, Lily grinned.

"Brilliant. You needed to do that." Lily smiled at her. "So, what next?"

Jazlyn frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do about that idiot Marauder of yours?"

"Sirius isn't mine anymore. You're the only one who can accurately claim to possess a Marauder at this point. And why are we talking about them like collectibles?"

"Because they talk about us like that? I don't know. And you really think that about

Sirius, you're blind, Temaida." Lily said it flatly. Jazlyn shrugged.

"That's as may be for now, but he's not the type to care for long. I hurt his pride, that's all."

Lily shook her head. She was on Jazlyn's side; Sirius had screwed up. However, Jazlyn was wrong too. One of them needed to apologize, and soon. Otherwise, she was going to start meddling.

Jazlyn had left her family in February, and the months after seemed to melt together. Suddenly it was the final week of May, and the fifth and seventh years were in a panic, thanks to the looming O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. But Lily Evans - while certainly very concerned about her exams - had something more on her mind. Sirius Black and Jazlyn Temaida were proving that they had both inherited at least one thing from their hated relatives; a rather large streak of pride. Sirius had spent the last months with a different girl on his arm every week, which was a lot of variety even for him. Jazlyn, meanwhile, had retreated back into being quiet, only talking to Lily, Remus, and occasionally Peter or James - when he was with Lily and Sirius wasn't there. She didn't speak to Sirius at all.

It was all getting on Lily's nerves. She slammed her Transfiguration book down, causing James and Remus, who were with her, to jump. They were in the library, but Madam Pince was currently chasing out a fourth year who'd brought candy to the library, and didn't notice. "What, you screwed up on some detail about Transfiguring humans?" he said, glancing at the page her book was open to. "You know, I could help with..." He trailed off at the look in her eyes.

"No, I didn't! It's not studying. It's Sirius and Jazlyn. They're making me so angry I can't concentrate."

"There's nothing to be done," Remus pointed out. "They're both too stubborn to apologize."

"Yeah," James agreed. "And though Sirius doesn't surprise me, who knew Jaz had it in her?" Lily scowled at him and he shut up, affecting an unconvincing penitent expression. Lily rolled her eyes at his pathetic act. Then she tried to go back to her studies. Just then, two Ravenclaws in their year walked by, whispering about the Farewell Dance, a small dance for the seventh years after their exams. It was open to all seventh years and any younger students invited by a seventh year.

"So, Nancy, do you have a date?"

"Yeah, Andy Edgecombe just asked me."

"Andy? Oh, you are so lucky..." And inspiration struck. Lily smiled, a smile that so reminded Remus of James and Sirius that he had to remark on it.

"Lily, why do you have a Marauder-style smile on your face?"

"Oh, because I've just had an epiphany."

"Really?" James asked. "About what?"

"About Sirius and Jazlyn. Now, Sirius' goal in dating all these girls is both to distract himself and make Jazlyn jealous, right?" The boys nodded. "She's jealous, but too restrained to do anything about it. Sirius, on the other hand... turn the tables and he won't take it so well."

"Bur Jazlyn isn't likely to pick up a guy anytime soon," James pointed out.

"No, but..." and she smiled again. "The Farewell Dance is coming up."

"Jazlyn's not going; she told me," Remus stated flatly.

"She is now, and you're going to ask her, Remus." Both boys stared at her.

"I don't want one of my best friends hexing me into the next century, Lily," Remus grumbled.

"He won't. See, that's the beauty of it. Sirius won't go after you, because you're his friend. Jazlyn will go with you as a friend, and you get a date that won't expect anything and who you'll actually enjoy yourself with. And hopefully, the idea that Jazlyn might be moving on will push Mr. Padfoot into action." Lily explained, her eyes gleaming.

"You're mental, but this just might work," James mused. "It's very crafty; I knew I fell in love with the right girl."

Lily blushed slightly before fixing Remus with a piercing emerald stare. "So, are you in or are you out?"

Remus sighed. "I'm in." And if this doesn't work, I'm really going to regret it, he added silently.

Remus wanted to put it off; but Lily could be terrifying when she wanted to be, and he thought better of it. In Ancient Runes, after the class was working quietly on the given assignment, Remus glanced at Jazlyn, sittting next to him. "Jazlyn?"

"Yeah?" she said, looking up.

"Listen... I was wondering. I know you said you weren't going to the dance, but maybe you might come with me? Just as friends, that is..."

Jazlyn chuckled. "What, you can't find anyone else?"

"It's not that... I just... I would like to go with someone I know I'll enjoy myself with, and it wouldn't be right to ask a girl I don't fancy if it gave her ideas."

"True... all right then, I'll go with you." They didn't notice Audrey Randall watching them with narrowed eyes, having heard everything.

Audrey's next class was Muggle Studies, and in that class were both Sirius Black and James Potter. She walked over to the boys, a smirk on her face. "Sirius, do you know who just asked Jazlyn Temaida to the dance?"

"Why would I care?" Sirius snapped. Audrey's smirk widened.

"Well, if my ex was going out with one of my best friends, I'd want to know.

"One of my..."

"Yes. Remus Lupin just asked her, in Ancient Runes." Pleased with the damage she'd just caused, Audrey sauntered away. James watched Sirius, very worried. He hoped Lily had been right that Sirius wouldn't hex Remus, but the look in Sirius' gray eyes said she might have been wrong.

"Sirius, don't overreact..."

"Overreact? What are you on about, James? I don't care who Jazlyn goes out with," Sirius said in an indifferent voice, though his face told a different story. "I just think it's a bit odd that Remus did it on the sly."

Right, I'm sure that's it, James told himself. But he didn't say anything. They went through the rest of the class in silence, before returning to the common room for a free period. There were a handful of other students there, including Remus and Lily. Jazlyn wasn't there, which probably a good thing. James went over to Lily and they watched as Sirius stalked over to Remus.

"You know, I don't care that you asked her out, but why didn't you say anything, Moony?"

Remus turned to face his friend. "I didn't think I had to. You guys are done."

"Well, yeah, it's just, I don't know, just a little off for you. Especially since you're just going as friends, right?"

Remus paused. He was about to say that yes, they were going as friends, but saw Lily watching him. How do I get myself into these things? "There's no misunderstanding between Jazlyn and me," he said instead, a more ambiguous answer.

"And that means what, exactly?" Sirius snapped.

"Exactly what I said." And then Remus left for the library. Sirius watched him go, his eyes blazing. James and Lily looked at each other. This was either going to work out perfectly or blow up in their faces.

A/N: So, what do you think?


	17. Convergence

Disclaimer: Not mine, though I'm having such fun playing with it.

_**Chapter 17 - Convergence:**_ Jazlyn had a bad feeling. It had nothing to do with the N.E.W.T.s she and her yearmates were currently taking; they had turned out to be tougher O.W.L.s. No, her feeling came from the suspicion that something was going on, something she didn't know about. She wasn't sure what, but Lily, who had been annoyed with her lately, was perfectly nice again. James was jumpy around Sirius, like he was hiding something. Peter was gone more than usual, and Remus... He and Sirius weren't speaking to each other. She felt a twinge of guilt as she thought of it.

Jazlyn sighed as she closed her Charms book. She wouldn't be studying now that her mind had drifted to this. It was her fault, she knew it. Because she hadn't accepted Remus' offer just because she thought it would be fun. For the past months, she'd watched Sirius with all those girls, and she just... she wanted him to know how it felt. It wasn't fair to use Remus for that revenge, and she knew it. However, that knowledge hadn't been enough to stop her. Maybe she was more like her relatives than she thought.

She stood and left the library. On her way back, she thought she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. She whirled to see Severus Snape sitting on a windowsill. But he wasn't looking at her; he was gazing out the window. Changing her eyes to cat eyes for a moment, she followed his gaze. He was watching James and Lily. From what she could see of his expression... she was too intimately acquainted with jealousy these days not to notice it in someone else. Her eyes narrowed as they reverted to their natural state. "I didn't know you were a voyeur, Severus," she said coolly. He leapt up in shocked fury, glaring at her.

"What do you want, Jazlyn?"

"Maybe I should be asking you." She strode to the window, glanced out. She shook her head. "Now, why are you watching those two like that? I know it can't be James. So then, it's Lily. You two haven't been friends for years; why are you spying on her?"

"Hark who's talking," he snarled back. "We both know you keep track of everything and everyone in those journals of yours." His black eyes flashed with fury.

Jazlyn scowled. There was no sense in lying. Severus was the only one who knew about that. The Marauders and Lily knew she wrote, but they didn't know what. Jazlyn had a talent for observation, for reading people, and her journals were a record of what she saw. She was probably one of the most well-informed people in the school. "At least I don't make it pathetically obvious," she retorted.

"Oh, so your boyfriend doesn't know? But then, who is your boyfriend these days? Black or his mongrel friend?" She didn't plan it, certainly didn't consciously send the command from her brain to her hand. But suddenly Severus was reeling back from the hard slap across the face she'd given him. He steadied himself, eyes blazing.

He sliced his wand through the air, and a deep gash appeared on her arm. Sectumsempra, she thought. She cast Incendio back at him, as silently as he had cast. His sleeve caught on fire.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her again. Jazlyn felt a smirk much like the one Sirius often had cross her face. Besides being able to observe things unnoticed, the ability to fade into the background often meant people underestimated her. He put out his sleeve as she healed her cut, then they watched each other warily, both waiting for the other to strike.

"That will be quite enough," a voice said mildly from behind them. Both teens were stunned to see Albus Dumbledore walking toward them. "Fifteen points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Mr. Snape, return to your common room. Miss Temaida, follow me." Severus smirked at Jazlyn as he left; obviously, he thought she was going to get it. So did she, as a matter of fact.

She walked in silence behind Dumbledore to the gargoyle guarding his office. It required no password from him; it sprang aside, revealing a moving spiral staircase. Dumbledore stepped onto it and she followed his lead.

When they reached his office, the headmaster gestured her to a seat. She tried not to stare in wonder at all the strange instruments, but wasn't doing as good a job as she'd have liked. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Would you care to explain that scene, Miss Temaida?" Jazlyn bit her lip. She wasn't reckless enough to lie to Dumbledore, even in the strange mood brought on by guilt that had caused her to taunt Severus in the first place.

"I was talking to Severus, or rather trading barbs with him, when he said something... something that made me snap. I slapped him, and he cursed me. I retaliated, and then you showed up, Sir."

Dumbledore steepled his hands in front of his face, studying Jazlyn with his light blue eyes. She suppressed a shiver. Those eyes seemed to go right through her. "I suppose his remark had something to do with the conflict centered around yourself, Mr. Black, and Mr. Lupin?" he asked mildly. Jazlyn stared at him.

"Sir...?"

"I am rather well-informed of the lives of my students, Miss Temaida. A blind man could see what has been happening. This kind of thing is common, among both teens and adults, I'm afraid."

"I never meant..."

"I am sure you did not. There may still be hope to repair the damage, and I expect you will see an opportunity before long. There is another matter I wish to discuss. I understand you have been disowned by your family?"

Jazlyn flinched. "Yes, sir. But I'm of age, and my cousin Andromeda's offered me a place to stay until I get on my feet." Dumbledore nodded.

"A good decision on both sides," he remarked. "I am glad that you have your affairs in order. As for you other situation..."

"Sir, I don't see what you mean about a chance to fix it."

He smiled. "No, I wouldn't think so. But your guilt may be somewhat misplaced." He gave her a slight, enigmatic smile before saying, "Now, I believe you should return to Gryffindor Tower before you are late." Jazlyn nodded and fled.

What had he meant by misplaced guilt? What did he know about the situation that she didn't? Jazlyn shook her head in frustration as she hurried for the portrait of the Fat Lady. Without more information, her hands were tied.

* * *

Jazlyn might have been one of the school's primary information-gatherers, but since she kept her knowledge to herself, she never quite managed to understand how the gossip chain worked. She knew how to gain information from it, of course, but anything more was beyond her. So it wasn't clear how the entire school found about the altercation with Severus, but by lunch, they all knew about it. At the Gryffindor table, Jazlyn was uncomfortably aware of the stares. She shifted in her seat, hating it.

Lily finally said, "Jazlyn, did you really get in a duel with Severus Snape?" Jazlyn nodded.

"Hah! Snivellus got hexed by a girl!" James crowed.

"Actually, I slapped him, he hexed me, and I hexed him back," Jazlyn said matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's even better. Damn. Wish I'd been there."

"Why'd you do it?" Remus asked. Jazlyn shrugged.

"He made me mad."

"Wow. You've gotten dangerous lately," Sirius said. Jazlyn's gaze flicked over to him.

"Have I? Well, if that's the case, I don't think I mind," Jazlyn said calmly, looking at him over her goblet of pumpkin juice. A hush fell on the table, because this was the first time Jazlyn had spoken to Sirius since the breakup. "Merlin, don't you lot have anything better to do than stare?" Jazlyn asked. Shaking her head, she got up and left.

* * *

Nearly two weeks later, all exams were over and it was the night of the Farewell Dance. The other girls had left and just Lily and Jazlyn were in the dormitory. Lily was wearing dress robes the color of her eyes, a gold heart on a chain and small gold hoops in her ears. She'd left her hair loose, and it fell down her back in dark red waves. Jazlyn had chosen wine red robes, and she wore a silver cat pendant and silver studs in her ears. Her hair was in the same style it had been for the Christmas Ball. She smiled at Lily. "You look great, Lil." She didn't use that name often; in their first year, since both of them had been friends with Severus, they'd known each other, and that was when Jazlyn had used that name. But she rarely used it now. Lily grinned.

"So do you. I guess you know all about looking elegant, being aristocratic and all." Jazlyn shook her head.

"You could say that." Jazlyn turned toward the door. "Well, we should go, shouldn't we?" Lily nodded and they walked out of the dorm. In the common room, James was standing there in black dress robes, and he grinned widely when he saw Lily. He offered his arm and the two walked off. Jazlyn watched them go, smiling. It had taken seven years, she mused, but James had finally gotten his girl.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Remus asked from behind her. She turned around. His robes were a different cut than James', but they too were black. Actually, most of the boys were wearing black, now that she thought about it.

"Don't waste your money. I was just thinking about James and Lily, how it took them seven years to get together."

"Yeah. Well, since Lily spent most of that time hating him..." They both grinned. "So, shall we go?" he continued.

"Yeah." They went downstairs to the Great Hall. It really was a small party; only about 40 people there. In the Great Hall, this was only magnified. Still, people were having a great time. Remus and Jazlyn sat with James, Lily, and Peter (who didn't have a date). Sirius and his date, some sixth-year Ravenclaw Jazlyn didn't know, got up to dance as Remus and Jazlyn approached. Lily watched them go, pleased. Sirius was trying to avoid Jazlyn, and that was obvious. Oh, this was going to work. She knew it. It might take some time, but it would work.

The five Gryffindors spent the first hour chatting as they ate the food that had been set out in a buffet style. Then Lily and James stood up. They were going to dance, and they decided to drag Remus and Jazlyn along. The music was fast, people could dance in groups. So they did. For quite a while. James tried to get Sirius and his date - who, apparently, was named Melinda - to join them, but to no avail. Then the music changed. It became slow, and the kid in charge of the record player - enchanted to work within the school - said this was a slow dance switch. In other words, people would begin dancing with the person they came with, and when the song changed, they would switch to a different partner. James and Lily dove right in; Peter, looking disgruntled, left the group. Remus and Jazlyn exchanged looks. "Might as well go for it," Remus said. Jazlyn nodded. She didn't notice the look on Sirius' face when she and Remus began dancing together, but he did. So did Lily and James, and Sirius' date. Sirius didn't know either; or rather, he thought he was hiding his reaction.

The song changed. Remus spun Jazlyn away and she found herself in front of James, who grinned impishly. "Hey, you're a pretty good dancer, Jaz," he told her. She gave him one of her I-am-not-amused looks. She'd gotten good at them, thanks to the Marauders. He only grinned wider.

The next song switch had her dancing with Frank Longbottom, a Hufflepuff in their year. He seemed a bit uncertain about dancing with her, and glanced worriedly at his date, Gryffindor Alice Campbell, who just smiled. "Don't worry," Jazlyn heard herself say. "Alice isn't the jealous type." Frank smiled at her.

"I know, but I've been working up the nerve to ask her out for so long... this kind of thing makes me nervous."

The song changed again. Jazlyn had been lucky so far; she hoped desperately that she wouldn't wind up with Malfoy or one of the other Slytherins - Severus wasn't here, thank Merlin. But when she saw her new partner, she realized Slytherins were the least of her troubles. She was dancing with Sirius, and the look in his eyes said that he was in a foul mood.

"What's wrong with you?" she muttered. His eyes narrowed.

"What do you think?"

"I've really no idea, to be honest." But she did. It seemed she'd succeeded in her plan for payback, but she wasn't happy about it.

"That's a lie," he hissed. "You're trying to make me jealous, aren't you?"

She wanted to deny it, but she decided not to. Not that she would let him off easily. "Hark who's talking," she snarled back, reminding herself of Severus. "You're the one with a new girl every week." And with that, she wrenched herself away and stalked out of the Hall into the courtyard.

Sirius watched her go, confused. Just then, his own date came up to him, blond hair waving. "You should go after her, you know," Melinda said with a slight smile, her silvery eyes kind. "It's OK, I know you just asked to have someone to go with." And she walked away. Sirius stared after her, torn. Melinda was right, but... Damn it all. He went out after her.

Jazlyn had walked for a while in the deserted courtyard, before sitting on a bench. She looked up at the sky, and the first star to catch her eye was the damned Dog Star. Sirius. She scowled. "I don't think the stars ever did anything to you," a voice said from behind her. She leapt up, whirling to see Sirius standing there.

"What do you want?" she snapped. He sighed.

"Just to talk, Jaz - Jazlyn," he amended when she glared at him. He walked over to the bench and sat down, looking up at her. Jazlyn rolled her eyes. She felt ridiculous, looming over him that way, so she sat down too.

"You want to talk, so talk," she said flatly. Sirius sighed.

"Well... You were right, about the girls. I guess it makes sense that you'd try the same eventually. Not exactly the effect I was hoping for..."

"Oh? And what were you hoping for, then?" Sirius didn't answer this. Instead, he said something else.

"And... I guess you were right about what I said about the Regulus thing."

"Yeah, well, I admit I overreacted a bit, though. You didn't answer my other question." Sirius flinched.

"You noticed, huh?" She nodded. "Well, I thought if you got jealous enough, you might try to break up our breakup."

"'Break up our breakup'? That's a pathetic line. And not exactly the best idea, either. If you wanted to get back together, why didn't you ask me out again?"

"I figured you'd probably just freeze me with a look, if I was lucky."

"I'm not Lily, and you're not James. At worst, I'd've just said No, and..." She looked down. "I wouldn't have said No for months now." She looked back up at him. "But I wasn't about to make a fool of myself by admitting it."

"We're both idiots, you realize that?" he said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, but you're worse, considering that this whole thing is your fault. Or at least, it started out that way." Sirius tried a sheepish look. "Oh don't. You and James, always trying to pull that. Well, it might work on your fangirls, but not me."

"I see. And what would?" They hadn't actually said they were getting back together, Jazlyn reflected, but they'd already slipped back into their old behaviors.

"Oh, I don't -" She was cut off when he kissed her. When he pulled back, he looked at her warily. She just grinned at him and kissed him back.

Lily, James, and Remus watched from under the Invisibility Cloak. "Mischief managed," they muttered.

A/N: OK, so the make up was cheesy. As for the breakup line, I stole that from one of my grandmother's soap operas. I thought it was funny. Also, in case you didn't notice, three parents of the Hogwarts kids we know and love were in this chapter. Frank and Alice, obviously, are Neville's parents. Sirius' date, Melinda, though, is Luna's mother. I gave them the same eye color (according to the Lexicon), but I doubted that would be a big enough clue for most readers. This is probably the second last chapter. I should be able to close up with one more, but there will be a sequel, When the World Crashes Down, which will focus on the Marauders, Lily, and Jazlyn after Hogwarts.


	18. Confessions and Attacks

Disclaimer: Not mine, though I'm having such fun playing with it.

_**Chapter 18 - Confessions and Attacks:**_ Lily's plan had succeeded. Jazlyn and Sirius were back together. Unfortunately for Lily, James, and Remus, Jazlyn and Sirius weren't dumb. It didn't take long for them to put things together and realize that there had been a plot to get them back together.

"Should we prank them or thank them?" Sirius asked, wincing at the unintentional rhyme.

"Well, while I don't like being manipulated, we did need it," Jazlyn pointed out.

"Still... it's the principle of the thing." Jazlyn rolled her eyes at Sirius' comment.

"You just like pranking people."

"Well, no one's denying that."

"Hmph."

"So, what are we going to do to them?" Sirius asked, his eyes lighting up. Jazlyn shook her head.

"I swear, sometimes I think you're 8, not 18."

* * *

Peter hadn't known about the matchmaking - they'd left him out in case he let something slip. He was equally unaware of the retaliation Sirius had finally roped Jazlyn into, but they did warn him to leave the dormitory early the day before they left school. Peter didn't know why, but he decided to follow orders. Jazlyn told Alice, Audrey, and Eliza (the other girls in the dorm she shared with Lily) to do the same. She and Sirius also left early. This drew James' and Remus' suspicions; after all, Sirius wasn't an early riser. But they wrote it off as Jazlyn's fault. As for Peter, he was just odd. Lily suspected nothing. Jazlyn usually left early. Though the others leaving too seemed a little weird...

James, Lily, and Remus didn't show up for breakfast. Jazlyn and Sirius, feigning concern, went up to get them. The missing seventh years were alone in the common room, covered in a mix of maple syrup and white feathers. "What did you do?" Lily shrieked. The girl could sound very banshee-like when she wanted.

"Well," Sirius explained, "while we were grateful that your meddling worked, you couldn't be allowed to just get away with it." Remus groaned.

"I guess this is better than you hexing me into oblivion," he muttered. James and Lily scowled.

"Can you get this off, at least? "James asked. "Scourgify didn't work."

"Not for you," Jazlyn said, "but it does for anyone else." She cast the spell at them; knowing Sirius, he would want to leave it for a while. The syrup and feathers vanished, and the five of them went downstairs.

* * *

The next morning, Lily, Alice, and Jazlyn were alone in the dorm; having heard what happened, Audrey and Eliza were now afraid to stay in the dorms for long. Lily was packing up her trunk when she suddenly stopped, looking at the other girls. "I can't believe we're actually finished," she said quietly. "I mean... I remember getting my letter; it was so weird, though I already knew."

"Did you? How?" Alice asked.

"Um... there was a wizard boy in my neighborhood. We grew apart though. Different interests." It was a vague way of saying that the boy had been Severus, and he was on the verge of becoming a Death Eater.

"Oh," Alice said.

Jazlyn said, "Well, I just remember being Sorted into Gryffindor. I wasn't happy. But I'm glad I was. I guess the Hat really does know what it's doing." The other two nodded.

"So, what do you guys want to do now that you're done school?" Alice asked. "Frank and I are both going to train as Aurors."

"Oh, you'll be with James and Sirius, then," Lily said. "I want to be a Mind Healer."

"And I'm going to be a journalist," Jazlyn put in. "Not like that woman Rita Skeeter," she added quickly. "I'm going to be the 'anti-Skeeter' as Sirius puts it." She rolled her eyes, showing that she found this title ridiculous.

"So what about Peter and Remus?" Alice pressed.

"Remus is going to work for Gringotts, and I don't think Peter's made up his mind yet," Lily said. "Why?"

"Oh, just curious, I guess. I was wondering what we're all going to be up to. I wish we could have some kind of school reunion, like the Muggles do. My dad told me about it."

"That would be interesting," Lily said. "See where everyone is in ten years."

"With luck, most of the Slytherins will be in Azkaban," Jazlyn remarked.

"True..." said Lily and Alice together.

* * *

Later, the Marauders, Lily and Jazlyn headed to the carriages for the last time. However, Lily suddenly ordered them all to stop. Then, snagging Ethan Thomas, she got him to take a photograph of the six of them. Ethan handed the camera back to Lily and walked away, muttering about demanding women. The six continued on their way. Once they reached the train, they all looked back, at the castle that had been their home for the better part of the last seven years. "I'm going to miss that place," Remus mused.

"Knowing you, you'll probably wind up teaching there eventually," James quipped.

Once they were settled in their compartment, the boys exchanged worried looks. "What?" Lily and Jazlyn said together. They looked at each other again.

"Well... there's something we've never told you." Remus looked upset. "There's a couple parts, but the biggest is me. I don't go home once a month, I go to a special place to... um... to transform. See, I'm... I'm a werewolf."

Lily's jaw dropped. "Oh... God, that's terrible. It must be awful for you, having to keep a secret like that." Remus was startled; he'd expected her to be disgusted. But she was Muggle-born, which might account for it... he looked at Jazlyn, scared.

"I already knew, Remus," she said quietly. "It doesn't bother me."

"How?"

"I have a secret of my own. Finish your story, and I'll share mine."

James picked up from there. "We figured it out in second year. So, Sirius, Peter, and I decided to help. Obviously, we can't cure him, but maybe we stay with him. But we couldn't do that as humans."

"So we became Animagi," Sirius continued. "We didn't manage to pull it off till fifth year, but once we got it..."

Lily frowned. "You could get in trouble for that..." she muttered. "But what are your forms?"

"I can't show you mine here; I'm a stag and I won't fit. Neither will Sirius, he's a dog, but a big one. Pete, show them Wormtail."

Peter nodded and then transformed into a rat. Angel attempted to jump out of her cage after him and he quickly changed back. All eyes turned to Jazlyn.

"OK. Well, you know Parselmouths?"

"You're a -" James began.

"No. However... I can talk to cats. Mind to mind, not out loud. And I can also..." She smiled as she turned into Sage.

"Bloody Hell," James said flatly. "Damn, Padfoot, you picked a cat for your girlfriend!" he said as Jazlyn turned back. "That's just weird!"

"Shut up, James," said Sirius. He looked at Jazlyn. "I heard the Temaidas used to be able to do that, but I thought it was just a story."

"No, but I'm the first in generations to do it. Though I've always suspected my younger cousin Darius might..." She didn't like Darius. He was the eldest male Temaida, and he was also a necromancer. He was a definite Voldemort supporter, thanks to Bella.

"I think I might need to become an Animagus now," Lily remarked, sounding a bit put out. "Though _I_ will register," she added imperiously.

"I'm a changeling, not an Animagus, so I don't have to," Jazlyn said.

"Why would we want to?" James said, speaking for Sirius and Peter as well. Lily scowled; Jazlyn and Remus shook their heads. Just then, there was a loud bang, followed by screams. "What the Hell?" James said, sticking his head out of the compartment. He gasped.

"What?" Sirius demanded as James pulled his head back in and drew his wand.

"Death Eaters! They're after the younger kids."

"Well, we can't let them do that!" And Lily yanked out her wand, standing up. So did the others, and then they went outside - into utter chaos. They were soon separated from one another as they tried to help younger students, and the chaos only got worse when Ministry Aurors arrived.

Jazlyn had just handed over a crying first year to an Auror when she felt someone push her into a compartment. Deja vu, she thought, looking at the Death Eater, who yanked off the mask .As she'd expected, it was Bellatrix. "_Avada Kedavra_!" she shouted.

Jazlyn didn't have time to duck, but suddenly, a streak of black shot between her and the spell. It was her cat, Angel, who had somehow been freed of her cage. Bella shrieked in fury, but then smiled. "That's fine," she said calmly, a little too calmly, considering the wildness in her eyes. Jazlyn felt a chill. She'd always known Bella was unstable, but this seemed worse. "_Crucio_!" she shrieked, and Jazlyn screamed. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it. The pain was worse than anything she could imagine. She still held her wand, and managed to whisper, "_Sectumsempra_," when Bella let up a little. The spell hit Bella's leg, and she fell to her knees. But this didn't stop her from continuing her Cruciatus on Jazlyn.

"_Stupefy_!" Sirius Stunned his cousin from behind and ran to his girlfriend, helping her up. "You OK?"

"Yeah." She looked at Angel, tears welling up. For years, Angel had been her only friend. She walked over and knelt, stroking the black fur for a moment, before whispering, "_Incendio_." The body was consumed instantly. Then she left the compartment with Sirius.

By this time, the fight was nearly over. A camp of sorts was set on the side of the tracks for people to be healed, collect their things, and meet up with their companions. Remus caught up to them, quickly, as did Peter. But they couldn't find James and Lily. Jazlyn turned her eyes to cats' eyes to see better. "There they are," she said, pointing. The four ran over. James and Lily sat with Frank and Alice. All four were ghostly pale.

"What happened?" Remus asked. James answered.

"It was him. Voldemort. We... we all saw him and tried to curse him. He'd've killed us, only an Auror showed up. He killed the Auror and left. He must've forgotten us."

"Lucky for you," Sirius said. "Not that I'm saying you were wrong to curse him. But he... I hate him, but he's dangerous, and we all know it."

"I can't believe you had the guts to try to fight him directly, when you've only just finished school," Jazlyn said.

"Neither can we," said Lily shakily.

"Practice, I suppose, or living up to what we want to do," Frank said quietly.

"Though maybe more than we should want," Alice added.

"It'll do everyone better if you live to be Aurors," Remus observed.

Three hours later, they were all brought to Platform 9 3/4 via Portkeys. The Evans looked confused; the Potters, Lupins, Pettigrews, and Andromeda all looked worried. Lily kissed James quickly and hurried to reassure her parents. Remus, James, and Peter went to their parents to do the same. Andromeda strode over to Sirius and Jazlyn. "Are you alright?"

"Better than James and Lily. They faced Voldemort himself, but they got lucky. He forgot about them," Sirius said. Jazlyn nodded.

"We're all fine, though," she added. She noticed Andromeda's jaw tighten as Narcissa walked past with Regulus. She put a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Andie..."

"It's fine, though I don't see Bella."

"She escaped with the other Death Eaters, after torturing Jaz," Sirius said harshly.

"What?!"

"I'm fine," Jazlyn insisted. Just then, James walked over.

"You coming, mate?" he asked Sirius.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "Take care of my girl, Andie," he told Andromeda, who shook her head. Jazlyn gave him a mock glare.

"I'll see you soon," he told her, before kissing her good-bye.

"I know," she told him. He grinned at her and walked over to the Potters, who were now talking to the Evans. Lily and Remus both hurried to Jazlyn to hug her; James and Peter waved.

"We'd better go," Andie said. "Ted's been worried too, and so has Nymph, though I'm not sure she really knows what's going on." Jazlyn nodded and followed her cousin out of the station. It turned out, she mused as they headed for Andie's car, that the Sorting Hat had been right after all. Smiling slightly, Jazlyn wondered what the future held. One thing was certain, it was going to be a lot more interesting than her past had been.

A/N: So, this is the end of In the Absence of Tears. I will post a notice on this story when the sequel is put up, though. As for that sequel... well, you can expect to see our favorite crew at work, joining the Order, and trying to make a decent life for themselves. We'll also eventually get around to weddings, and then... the births of Ambryn and Harry. Parenthood is going to be a new subject for me, so if anyone has any experience, drop a PM my way. Or an owl, but I don't think my relatives will like that.


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